The Assistance League Glendale celebrated its 37th annual Festival of Trees. On Sunday the Glendale Hilton was all aglow with the league’s theme, “By the Candle’s Glow.” More electric light than candlelight, the city’s fire laws were met. Some 400 women and a smattering of men basked under the glow of the Hilton’s largest ballroom, decorated with 20 Christmas trees. League President Alma Tycer welcomed members and their guests.

Event Chair Sally Benson was a one-woman show. She had just spent the last two weeks in league headquarters decorating the trees. One of her helpers was Daryl Baker Pollock.

More helpers were the League’s Assisteens. Outfitted in Santa Hats, the girls were the runners giving out the winning bidders’ receipts from the silent auction. Four of the fast-on-their feet Assisteens were Bea Breckheimer, Shannon Green and Shannon Ritter. Part of their volunteer duties for the Assistance League is cheering up children cancer patients at the City of Hope in Duarte. The girls paint hospital windows with Christmas scenes.

Jeraldine Saunders, guest of league member Mary Margaret Smith, had good news. Her biography, “The Love Boat Lady,” is now available on Amazon. More good news were the many chances to pop a $1 opportunity ticket into one of 20 boxes with prizes ranging from a $200 Costco gift certificate to “Din[ing] out with Mario.” That prize included a bevy of restaurant gift certificates including one for Americana’s Cheesecake Factory — a favorite of this crowd.

A luscious lunch of chicken Bolognese or salmon provided extra energy to bid on four live auction items. Most popular was the “Disney Extravaganza” that included a $700 Disney gift card for anything Disney. Underwritten by Benson, the winning bidder spent $875. The Glendale Hilton provided a one-night “Staycation” including an upscale room, dinner and breakfast for two. The “Staycation” went for a mere $350. It exceeded the winning bid of $300 for four VIP tickets to the Dr. Phil show in Hollywood.

The festival amounted to many ways to part with one’s money, albeit for fun and profit. Event proceeds will benefit the league’s philanthropies, including Authors and Illustrators Days, Operation School Bell and the Senior Neighborhood Fellowship luncheons.

Upcoming is a three-day, half price sale at the league’s Thrift Alley on Dec. 19, 20 and 21.

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The Glendale Latino Assn. mixed it up at their monthly mixer on Wednesday, Nov. 28. Far Niente Restaurant provided the pop and pizza. Adult beverages were also on tap. Red wine was hands down the favorite.

This month’s mixer was a three-ring circus. The ringmaster was Association President Nancy Guillen. She supervised the collection of unwrapped toys for “Toys for Tots,” sponsored by the Glendale Police Department. The spotlight also shined on one of Glendale finest, Capt. Carl Povilaitis of the Field Services Division. The captain was the winner of Glendale Adventist Medical Center’s Army of Pink campaign held in October. He and his fellow candidates received more than 80,000 votes tallied on the hospital’s website. But it was Povilaitis who received the lion’s share of the votes and named favorite “Man in Pink.” Since Glendale Latino Assn. members originally kicked off the campaign, they consider the captain as one of theirs. “The police department has a holistic approach to raising awareness of breast cancer,” said Povilaitis who continued, “Glendale is a safe and healthy community.” As part of his official “Pink” duties the captain will ride on Glendale’s float in the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade.

The evening ended with more activity in another circus ring. Elissa Glickman, Glendale Arts’ Interim CEO, blew out the candles on a cake to celebrate her birthday on the same day as the mixer. Association member Betty Porto of Porto’s Bakery and Café donated the cake.